Where does “turncoatism” come from?
turncoatism (English) comes from English turncoat, from English turn, from Middle English turnen, from Old French torner, from Latin tornō, from Latin tornus, from Ancient Greek τόρνος, from Proto-Indo-European torh₂no- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
turncoatism (English): The actions of a turncoat or traitor; betrayal
Definitions
- The actions of a turncoat or traitor; betrayal
Ancestry of “turncoatism”, step by step
turncoatism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English turncoat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | turncoat | A traitor; one who turns against a previous... |
| 2 | English | turn | "to make a non-linear physical movement."; "To... |
| 3 | Middle English | turnen | to turn |
| 4 | Old French | torner | to turn; to return; to go back |
| 5 | Latin | tornō | to turn |
| 6 | Latin | tornus | A turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | τόρνος | A tool similar to a pair of compasses used to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | torh₂no- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |
via English ism
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ism | An ideology, system of thought, or practice that... |
| 2 | English | -ism | Used to form nouns of action or process or result... |
| 3 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |